Davis Bynum Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2018 (California) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is a beautiful Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley that arrived at the LCBO as a Summer Smart Buy in the August 19th LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection.

It is produced by Davis Bynum Winery - the original Russian River Valley Pinot Noir wine producer. The story begins in 1973, when Davis Bynum released his first small lot single vineyard Pinot Noir from the famed Rochioli vineyard in Sonoma County's Russian River Valley. At the time, Pinot Noir was a relative stranger to the region, but this fickle grape thrived in the unique terroir of the Russian River Valley. As Davis Bynum was the first to produce a single vineyard, Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, his efforts paved the way for the Russian River Valley winegrowing region to become one of California's finest for growing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

In 2007, Davis Bynum Winery was sold to proprietor Tom Klein and his family, 4th generation California farmers who shared the same values and principles that he built his own reputation on. Today, it remains in the capable hands of Tom Klein and winemaker Greg Morthole, as they honour the expertise and innovative winemaking spirit of founder, friend, and mentor Davis Bynum. Together, they are humbled and proud to carry on the Davis Bynum legacy while staying true to Bynum's philosophy.

The philosophy at Davis Bynum is based on intuitive winemaking - the techniques and technicalities of winemaking should be mastered to the extent that they take a backseat to instinct and intuition. With four decades of understanding the unique terroir of the Russian River Valley, this knowledge allows Davis Bynum to craft wines with emotion and soil at the forefront, but anchored by the innate understanding of this terroir's complexity. In the vineyard, they use certified sustainable vineyard practices, while opting for minimalist viticulture and handling the fruit with the utmost care. The grapes are also handpicked at night, before sunrise, which ensures that the grapes have stable sugar levels and, since they are already cool, the grapes require less chilling prior to crushing, thus saving energy. In keeping with their "hands off" approach, the grapes are naturally fermented in barrel using wild yeasts and bottled unfiltered. Each wine bearing the Bynum name is estate grown, bottled, and produced.

All of their wines are crafted with fruit exclusively from the Russian River Valley, a winegrowing region that has cool, maritime conditions that are ideal for early ripening varieties such as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The climate in this region is influenced by the consistent creep of cooling fog from the Pacific Ocean a few miles to the west. This fog ebbs and flows through the Petaluma Wind Gap and the channel cut by the Russian River across the coastal hills, typically arriving in the evening and dropping temperatures, and retreating to the ocean the following morning. This naturally cool climate allows wine grapes to develop full flavour maturity over an extended growing season, while retaining their natural acidity.

While Davis Bynum is distinguished as the first winery to produce a single vineyard Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley, with their 1973 Pinot Noir from the Joe Rochioli vineyard, this particular Pinot is hand-crafted with grapes from four vineyards which reside on Goldridge sandy loam soils: Jane's, Dutton Lorenzo, Dutton Gregori, and Dutton Barron. This particular vintage blends the characteristics of two separate neighbourhoods - the warmer Santa Rosa Plains that provide darker fruit tones and velvety tannins, and the much cooler Green Valley that adds brightness and vibrant acidity. By blending warmer climate fruit with cooler climate fruit, Davis Bynum is able to craft a wine with tension between the rich fruit and lush mouthfeel of a centrally located Russian River vineyards in Santa Rosa against the bright fruit and racy acidity of the westernmost vineyards in the Green Valley. The final blend of this Pinot Noir was created after each different vineyard block was fermented and aged separately for 13 months in French and Hungarian oak barrels, 22% new.

The 2018 growing season was mild with low precipitation at just under 2 feet of rain, while summer saw only a handful of days warmer than 32°C, but none over 38°C, at their Jane's Vineyard, located in the warmer Santa Rosa Plains. The grapes were harvested into early September on cool and overcast mornings. From near-perfect growing conditions, let's see how this 2018 Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

DAVIS BYNUM RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY PINOT NOIR 2018 - Sustainable, Sonoma County, California, USA (#458893) (XD) - $34.95
Elegant, medium-high to highly aromatic nose offers lovely bright red cherry aromas that mingle with musky, strawberry, gentle oak spice, and earth, plus hints of tea leaf, beetroot, and plum adding further complexity. It has good weight and concentration on the medium to medium-full bodied, dry palate with ripe red cherry, dark berry, strawberry, gentle oak spice, tea leaf, earth, and beetroot flavours in a nicely balanced profile. Acids are crisp, fresh, and juicy, while the refined tannins are lightly grippy, offering a pleasing mouthfeel. Tangy dark red berries with earthy mineral notes linger on the long, crisp finish. Should drink nicely over the next 5+ years. Highly recommended buy! Score: 91+ pts

Other fine wines by Davis Bynum are available through their Agent - Mark Anthony Wine & Spirits.

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Cellier des Dauphins Vinsobres 2019 (Rhône) - Wine Review

After enjoying the delicious 2019 Cellier des Dauphins Réserve a couple of years ago, we move up a notch with tonight's red wine review that is a Cru wine from the same producer. It arrived at the LCBO as part of the recent LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection on August 19.

Cellier des Dauphins is a co-operative winery that was founded in 1967 when the Union of Côtes du Rhône winegrowers (UVCDR) was established. The UVCDR brought together 2,300 winemaking families in the southern Rhône Valley, a territory that covered 2,500 hectares of vines and approximately 20 AOCs. As a co-operative, member growers pool their resources together to produce and market their wines. Additionally, they have also invested in modern winemaking techniques and facilities to ensure consistent quality across its range of wines, while also focusing on sustainable and environmentally-friendly practices.

Today, Cellier des Dauphins is the pride of UVCDR, and is particularly renowned for its Côtes du Rhône wines. The name "Cellier des Dauphins" translates to "Cellar of the Dolphins", and is an historical reference between the Dauphiné region, which is located in the southeastern part of France, and the dolphin emblem associated with the French royal family. The founding members of Cellier des Dauphins are proud of their terroir and driven by constant innovation, while preparing for the future and striving relentlessly to raise the quality from vine to glass. Cellier des Dauphins is committed to sustainable agriculture and has launched various eco-friendly initiatives, while also having over 1,000 hectares of organically farmed vines. While Cellier des Dauphins has a wide variety of soils and terroirs within their vineyards, offering oenologists a rich palette of grapes for blending, for this particular bottling they have decided to craft it as a Cru wine from Vinsobres.

This red wine is crafted using grapes grown in the Cru of Vinsobres, whose name is derived from the Latin word "vinsobrio", which means wine and work. It is a blend of primarily 70% Grenache and 20% Syrah that was grown in the hills of the Southern Rhône Cru of Vinsobres, at 500 metres above sea level, in a region that was historically part of the estates of the King of France's sons. The region experiences a sunny, Mediterranean climate that is cooled by Mistral winds. It has dry winters and summers, with particularly high temperatures in summer, while rainfall occurs primarily in autumn and spring. The soil in Vinsobres is covered in stones, which enables the heat of the day to be accumulated and encourages early ripening and concentration in the grapes. The wine was crafted with meticulous attention at every stage, culminating with it being aged in cask for 12 months to develop smoothness and suppleness in the tannins.

Like the wine I enjoyed a couple of years ago, this red is also from the same vintage in the Southern Rhône. The 2019 growing season was a swelteringly hot and very dry year that was surprisingly successful. Grenache excelled during this vintage, producing wines that are rich, ripe, and expressive, with refined textures. Let's see how this 2019 Rhône red from the Vinsobres Cru is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

CELLIER DES DAUPHINS VINSOBRES 2019 - Cru des Côtes du Rhône, AC, France (#15448) (XD) - $19.95
Blend of mainly 70% Grenache and 20% Syrah, this has an enticing, medium-high nose that offers lovely aromas of black raspberry, licorice, garrigue, and baking spices with a touch of floral. It's medium-full bodied with velvety smooth, refined tannins and fresh, well-balanced acidity that supports the ripe black raspberry, red plum, baking spice, licorice, stony mineral, and meaty notes in a dry flavour profile. It's nicely balanced throughout, even showing some elegance, while stony mineral notes linger on the long, crisp, and very satisfying finish. Highly recommended buy! Score: 90 pts

Other delicious wines by Cellier des Dauphins are available at the LCBO and through their Agent - Churchill Cellars Ltd.

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Achaval Ferrer Quimera 2019 (Argentina) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is an excellent, old-vine Malbec-based blend from Argentina that arrived at the LCBO last month in the July 6th LCBO VINTAGES Cellar Collection Release and is still available for purchase on VINTAGES Shop Online.

It is produced by Achaval Ferrer, a prominent winery in Argentina that is known for producing limited quantity, high-quality wines, particularly from the Mendoza wine region. It was founded in 1998 by a group of friends, including Santiago Achával and Manuel Ferrer, who combined their surnames to form the wine company's name - Achaval Ferrer - and became well-known throughout the world in just a few short years.

As guardians of a legacy, Achaval Ferrer decided to preserve the legacy of time during a period when the old was quickly replaced by the new. The legacy is still treasured today as they keep the DNA of centennial vines intact, combining wisdom with passion, and creating wines that express the magic of the exceptional terroir they come from. Their philosophy is based on its commitment to and respect for nature, and its winemaking is based on a minimal interventionist principle from vine to wine, as well as three fundamental pillars. The first pillar is the centennial vines that are own-rooted and pre-phylloxera. The second pillar is to deliberately obtain low yields, which helps produce concentrated and complex berries. In addition to obtaining low yields, Achaval Ferrer also arranges the vines in a strategic, highly dense layout which makes the vines compete with each other, and thus forcing the roots to reach deeper into the soil, changing the structure of the grapes and producing highly concentrated berries. The third and final pillar is to produce wines with minimum intervention and maximum expression, thus respecting and preserving the terroir and its message all throughout the winegrowing and winemaking process, to obtain pure, highly expressive wines.

Quimera, or Chimera, is the name of this wine and it has two different meanings, both of which have an intimate relationship with this wine. The first is that in Greek mythology, Chimera was a beast made up of the parts of three different animals, while this wine is also made up of different varieties. The second meaning of the word is the one that best represents this wine - Chimera is an impossible search, a search for the unattainable; this is the mentality that everyone in the vineyards and winery has every year when they produce this wine. Without following any rules or tradition, the goal is to produce the best possible blend every year. Chimera is design and architecture, an intimate discovery, and a search for perfection.

Usually a Malbec-based blend, this vintage is composed of old-vine 59% Malbec, 16% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot that was grown in various vineyards across Mendoza. The Malbec was grown in the Perdriel appellation in Luján de Cuyo, on soils of alluvial origin that feature a thin sandy loam with gravel underneath, and very good drainage.The Cabernet Sauvignon was grown in Medrano (Junín) and Los Arboles (Tunuyan). In Medrano, the soil is also of alluvial origin, but has an 80 cm surface layer of silty clay on a bed of sand and eroded rock, while in Los Arboles there is a great presence of stones with rounded edges, gravel with a toothed shape and colluvion. Furthermore, the sandy loam frame soil in Los Arboles provides ideal drainage. Both the Merlot and Cabernet Franc come from Tupungato, Uco Valley, where there is very little soil depth with gravel on the surface, while also combining volcanic ash and calcareous rocks, which offers very good drainage. All of the vineyards are managed in a highly sustainable manner.

To craft this red wine, each variety underwent primary fermentation separately in small cement tanks, followed by malolactic fermentation in French oak barrels, 65% new and 35% second use. It was then aged in barrel for 12 months, and finally bottled unfined and unfiltered.

The 2019 growing season was notable for its dry weather and cool climate, resulting in highly concentrated wines with great colour and acidity. From a good-to-excellent year, let's see how this 2019 Malbec blend from Argentina is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

ACHAVAL FERRER QUIMERA 2019 - Mendoza, Argentina (#24752) (XD) - $53
Blend of old vine 59% Malbec, 16% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot. Elegantly complex, medium-high intensity aromas of dark fruit, blackberry, violet, currant, cassis, earthy mineral, and fine oak spices. It is full-bodied and nicely concentrated with lovely ripe blackberry, currant, fine oak spice, violet, and earthy-stony mineral flavours which are supported by fresh acidity and firm, chewy, and well-structured tannins. Crisp and fresh with mineral notes lingering on the exceptionally long, dry finish. Enjoyable now and will improve to the end of the decade. Highly recommended buy! Score: 93+ pts

Very limited quantities of one of their Malbec wines is available at the LCBO, while the rest of their outstanding portfolio can be ordered through their Agent - Mark Anthony Wine & Spirits.

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La Luna e I Falò Barbera d'Asti Superiore 2020 (Piedmont) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is a delicious red wine from Italy that's made with the Barbera grape varietal. It arrived at the LCBO last weekend in the August 19th LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection.

It is produced by Vite Colte, a co-operative winery whose name means the art of cultivating the vine. The co-op is made up of 180 small winegrowers with 300 hectares of vineyards, all situated within Piemonte. The people of Vite Colte share a strong belief in the concept of quality, where the responsibility of individuals is an integral part of the final result. As winegrowers, partners, and friends, the members of Vite Colte are accomplices in a project that demands dedication to quality, which is every bit as strict as the protocols implemented in its pursuit. In order to obtain the highest level of quality, each winegrower is remunerated on the basis of the size of the vineyard, and not on the quantity of product.

The winery, whose architectural design has been reviewed by numerous modern architecture magazines, was inaugurated in 2000 and is located below some of the most prestigious Barolo cru vineyards. New technologies and a philological study of the territory, which gave the Langhe its specificity and identity, were top of mind when architect Gianni Arnaudo designed the winery. Vite Colte also paid great attention to integrating the winery into the landscape, while using eco-compatible signs and materials.

The philosophy at Vite Colte is that quality stems from innovation, as well as knowledge that comes from the interaction between different worlds and generations, such as rural knowledge, experience, tradition, and the Piedmontese passion for meticulous work, combined with modern research and science. Their goal is an absolute and constant quality standard that is the result of agronomic choices aimed at sustainable and selective vineyard management which is focused on achieving perfectly ripe fruit. Each winegrower complies with the protocol, taking prompt action in the vineyard, and defining and monitoring the progress of their work while keeping in contact with the company's team of agronomists. Vineyards used to create their wines are selected based on various factors such as vineyards that are at least 15 years old, low yields per vine, hand harvesting with great attention to harvesting dates, and integrated and/or organic viticulture.

This red wine is crafted with 100% Barbera that was carefully selected from over 60 hectares of low yield vineyards that participate in the "Superbarbera" project. The grapes were blended from vineyards with slightly different soils and micro-climates, which allowed Vite Colte to produce a better wine with the best balance between structure and aroma. It was traditionally vinified, with 10 days of maceration at temperatures between 20-30°C, and then underwent malolactic fermentation. The wine was aged for 12 months in French oak barriques to further enhance its structure. From a very good vintage, let's see how this 2020 Barbera d'Asti is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

LA LUNA E I FALÒ BARBERA D'ASTI SUPERIORE 2020 - DOCG, Piedmont, Italy (#627901) (D) - $24.95
The open, medium-high intensity nose offers attractive aromas of plummy, ripe dark red cherry and black berry fruit with mocha, chocolate, vanilla, and spices adding savoury tones. It's medium+ bodied with fresh acidity and some sweetness on the ripe palate with plummy, black cherry, vanilla, and oak spice flavours. Supple, grainy textured tannins deliver a pleasing mouthfeel. Very good length on the crisp, dry finish, with hints of mineral. Enjoy this recommended buy over the next few years. Score: 89 pts

A Barolo by Vite Colte is currently on clearance at the LCBO, while other wines from this producer can be ordered through their Agent - Dionysus Wines & Spirits.

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Hidden Bench Béton Sauvignon Blanc 2021 (Niagara) - Wine Review

After enjoying the lovely 2022 Hidden Bench Locust Lane Rosé last month, tonight's white wine review is another lovely organic wine from the same producer. In fact, this is the first vintage for this wine and also brand new to the LCBO, arriving in-stores and online as part of the recent LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection on August 5.

Hidden Bench Estate Winery is one of Niagara's leading boutique wineries. It was founded in 2003 by Harald Thiel and family in Beamsville Bench when they acquired the Locust Lane vineyard. A year later, Hidden Bench purchased the Rosomel Vineyard, where this white wine was grown. Today, the focus at Hidden Bench is on artisanal, terroir-focused, and premium wines using grapes from their own, organic, estate vineyards. Their philosophy is based on a non-interventionist, quality-focused, and terroir-driven approach. Hidden Bench has a long, well-established reputation for excellence both domestically and internationally, and their wines have earned numerous accolades over the years, and much of their success can be attributed to their location within the VQA Beamsville Bench sub-appellation in Niagara.

This 100% Sauvignon Blanc was organically certified and estate grown at their Rosomel Vineyard on the Beamsville Bench. The Rosomel Vineyard is set on a broad terrace where the escarpment forms a double bench. The vineyard gently slopes northward towards the lake, with the edge of the vineyard bordered by wooded thickets on three sides, while the Bruce Trail runs along the upper bench, directly behind the vineyard. Because the vineyard is positioned between two benches, it is protected from harsher winds, while the gentle slopes and its proximity to the lake ensures that air circulates throughout the vineyard, and helps prevent frost or Botrytis.

In 2021, because of the wet growing season, they exposed the bunches at fruit-set to sunlight by removing leaves on the east side of the canopy, which also opened up air flow from the west side. A green harvest was done at the start of véraison, and they left only the healthiest bunches on the vine in order to promote ripeness, concentration of flavours, and the expression of terroir. The grapes were harvested and sorted by hand, then gently whole bunch pressed. The wine is named "Béton", which translates to "Concrete", because it was naturally fermented with indigenous yeasts in concrete tanks and remained in concrete for 7 months to age on its lees, until bottling.

The growing season in 2021 started with a mild and relatively dry winter which protected the buds. Spring was warm, leading to an earlier than average budbreak and was coupled with an excellent vegetative growth phase through May and June which resulted in early and complete flowering towards the Summer Solstice. The fruit set was excellent, while the crop size was larger than average and was supported by ample moisture and heat during July and August. Anticipating an excellent (and large) vintage, leaf removal to open the canopy, as well as fruit thinning and balancing throughout the summer to the end of August kept the winegrowing team busy. Rainfall during harvest presented challenges, but overall they were pleased with the quality of the fruit. The 2021 growing season will be remembered as a winegrower's vintage, where a nimble approach and attention to detail from vineyard to bottle helped produce very good, early varietal wines. Let's see how this 2021 Sauvignon Blanc from Niagara is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

HIDDEN BENCH BÉTON SAUVIGNON BLANC 2021 - Rosomel Vineyard, VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#33552) (XD) - $27.95
Fermented and aged in concrete tanks. Enclosed by screw cap. This lovely, organic Sauvignon Blanc has a fragrant nose that leads with intriguing flinty minerality aromas, followed by ripe lemon citrus and pear, plus some ripe tropical fruit, thyme, herbs, and grass notes that add complexity. It is impressively weighted on the medium-full bodied, nicely textured palate with lovely, dry flavours of ripe lemon citrus, pear, grapefruit, and flinty mineral, with touches of white peach and cucumber. Fresh acidity is juicy and succulent. It's somewhat spicy on the mid-palate, while citrus and mineral notes linger on the long, textured finish. Different, intriguing, and a highly recommended buy! Score: 90+ pts

Other fantastic wines from Hidden Bench are available through the LCBO, their Agent - Mark Anthony Wine & Spirits, or direct from the winery in Niagara.

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Undurraga Terroir Hunter Cauquenes Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 (Chile) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is an excellent Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile that arrived at the LCBO today as part of the August 19th LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection.

It is produced by Viña Undurraga, one of Chile's oldest wineries and a producer known for crafting high-quality wines. It was founded in 1885 by Francisco Undurraga Vicuña and has played a significant role in Chile's winemaking history. It all started in 1870, when Francisco brought plants from Germany and France in lead capsules so they wouldn't wilt during their journey through the tropics. He also used oak wood from Bosnia to make the casks that the company started with.

Undurraga was initially founded as "Fundo Santa Ana", in honour of Francisco's wife, Mrs. Ana Fernández de Íñiguez and in 1891 they had their first harvest. At the turn of the century, the winery expanded and built its original cellar. In 1903, Undurraga became the first winery from Chile to export their wines to the U.S. and awards followed soon thereafter. The 1960s brought decades of distinguished visitors to the winery, along with the production of their first sparkling wines in 1975.

Today, Undurraga is headquartered with vineyards in the Maipo Valley. They have six estates and vineyards across five regions in Chile that are exclusively dedicated to the cultivation and production of the finest wine grapes. Each of these locations was carefully selected by the company's viticulture teams based on its suitability for specific varieties, while the unique qualities of the terroir are studied using precision farming techniques. The winemaking philosophy at Undurraga is based on creating characterful, authentic, and consistent wines. The winemakers and viticulturists work together to express the identity and quality of the vineyards through each and every one of their eight lines of wines by meticulously managing the vines and taking the utmost care throughout the vinification process. While each line bears the personal stamp of its winemaker, all Undurraga wines have one thing in common - each line seeks to faithfully represent the character of the grape variety it is made from and its place of origin, while prioritizing good balance, fruit expression, and fine quality.

This particular wine is from their emblematic T.H. (or Terroir Hunter) range, which is made by Head Winemaker Rafael Urrejola. The Terroir Hunter project is a constant search across the diverse Chilean topography for micro terroirs. These small plots of land with strong characters are carefully managed to obtain genuine wines of origin.

For this Cabernet Sauvignon, the grapes were grown in their 6.45 hectare vineyard, which was planted in 2009, and situated 5 km south of the town of Cauquenes, on the banks of River Tutuvén, in the southern part of the Maule Valley in central Chile. The Maule Valley is Chile's largest winegrowing region, with 30,000 hectares planted with vines. Undurraga has an estate property in Cauquenes, and the grapes for this red wine come from densely planted vines which reside on gentle slopes of granitic origin, in low-fertility red clay soils which have a high content of quartz. In Cauquenes, summers are warm and dry, with average highs of 32°C and cool night temperatures of 11°C., while autumn is cold and humid, with average rainfall between 700 to 1,000 mm. These conditions contribute to the extended growing season that is ideal for ripening Cabernet Sauvignon.

From a balanced and cool growing season that also had good thermal amplitude, let's see how this 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

UNDURRAGA TERROIR HUNTER CAUQUENES CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2019 - Valle del Maule, Chile (#24768) (XD) - $26.95
100% Cabernet Sauvignon that was hand harvested. The grape characters were delicately extracted during fermentation, and then aged for 14 months in French oak barrels (30% new). The clean, fresh, fragrant, and highly aromatic nose offers lovely evergreen and tomato leaf aromas that surround a core of dark berry, currant, cassis, and subtle earthy, cedary wood spice notes. It's medium-full bodied on the dry, ripe palate with red & black berry, cherry, currant, cassis flavours that are slightly stewed. Some gentle cedary oak, earth, dried herbs, and spices add complexity. It's framed by juicy, well-balanced acidity and smooth, lightly chalky tannins. It's nicely balanced throughout with earthy, evergreen, dried herb, currant, and cassis all coming through on the exceptionally long, well-balanced finish. Enjoy this highly recommended buy over the next 6-7 years! Score: 92 pts

Other fine wines by Undurraga are available at the LCBO and through their Agent - Dionysus Wines & Spirits.

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August 19, 2023 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Summer Smart Buys

Here's my top wine picks from the August 19, 2023 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection, which is the annual Summer Smart Buys release. It's a big release with 147 wines featured and 27 included among my top wine picks. All of the wines from the release should be available for purchase by this Saturday.

We'll begin with the theme titled "Summer Smart Buys" and it features nineteen wines that are almost all below $25, and five are included among my top wine picks. The sparkling wine from Burgundy is composed of primarily Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, with Aligoté completing the blend. Among the white table wines, there is a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, and a Chenin Blanc from South Africa, while the red wines include a wine made with the País varietal from Chile, as well as a lovely Pinot Noir from Russian River Valley.

If this release was to have a mini-theme, it would feature the wines of Spain as there are many quality wines from this country in this release. In red wines, the Crianza is made with 100% Tempranillo, while the 2015 Gran Reserva is a blend of Tempranillo and Mazuelo, and, lastly, the 2008 Gran Reserva is crafted with approximately 95% Tempranillo and the rest other native varieties. Other red wine blends include the wine from the Dão region in Portugal that consists of 40% Alfrocheiro, 40% Aragonez (Tempranillo), and 20% Touriga Nacional, while the both of the McLaren Vale and Vinsobres wines are crafted with Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre. The last blend is the Symmetry from Sonoma that is composed of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 12% Malbec,
4% Petit Verdot, and 3% Cabernet Franc. Some of the single varietal wines include a Pinot Noir from Chile, an Aglianico from Basilicata, and a trio of Cabernet Sauvignon wines - two from California and one from Chile.

Among my white wine picks, we start in Greece with an oak aged blend of 85% Assyrtiko, 10% Athiri, and 5% Aidani from Santorini, while the wine from Attica is crafted with 100% Savatiano. The white wine from Abruzzo is a blend of 50% Pecorino, 30% Passerina, and 20% Trebbiano, while the Rhône white is composed of 50% Grenache Blanc, 20% Viognier, 15% Marsanne, and 15% Roussanne. and the Rjoja white is a barrel fermented blend of Viura, Garnacha Blanca, and Malvasía. For wines with some sweetness, look to the off-dry Riesling from Niagara, or the medium sweet Vouvray from Loire which is crafted with 100% Chenin Blanc.

From my pink wine recommendations, both are dry rosé wines, with the rosé from Niagara crafted primarily with Pinot Noir, while the rosé from Provence is a blend of Cinsault, Grenache, and Syrah.

Enjoy my top wine recommendations from this release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

• CABRIZ COLHEITA SELECIONADA TINTO 2020 - DOC Dão, Portugal (#247973) (D) - $14.95  88+ pts  wine review
• D'ARENBERG THE STUMP JUMP GRENACHE / SHIRAZ / MOURVÈDRE 2019 - McLaren Vale, South Australia (#173294) (XD) - $17.95  89 pts  wine review
• BOUCHON PAÍS VIEJO 2022 - Dry farmed, old vines, ungrafted, Secano Interior, Valle del Maule, Chile (#25297) (XD) - $18.95
• CELLIER DES DAUPHINS VINSOBRES 2019 - Cru des Côtes du Rhône, AC, France (#15448) (XD) - $19.95  90 pts  wine review
• ALTANZA CRIANZA 2018 - Vegan, DOCa Rioja, Spain (#114835) (XD) - $19.95
• OLARRA CLÁSICO GRAN RESERVA 2015 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#30225) (XD) - $19.95
• PATERNOSTER SYNTHESI 2018 - DOC Aglianico del Vulture, Basilicata, Italy (#51672) (XD) - $22.95

• SAN PEDRO 1865 TAYÚ PINOT NOIR 2020 - Buchahueico, DO Valle del Malleco, Chile (#16628) (XD) - $23.95
• LA LUNA E I FALÒ BARBERA D'ASTI SUPERIORE 2020 - DOCG, Piedmont, Italy (#627901) (D) - $24.95  89 pts  wine review
• RANCH 32 CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2020 - Monterey County, California, USA (#480269) (XD) - $25.95  90 pts  wine review
• UNDURRAGA TERROIR HUNTER CAUQUENES CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2019 - Valle del Maule, Chile (#24768) (XD) - $26.95  92 pts  wine review
• PUELLES GRAN RESERVA 2008 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#30222) (XD) - $26.95
• RODNEY STRONG ALEXANDER VALLEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2020 - Sustainable, Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA (#350454) (XD) - $34.95
• DAVIS BYNUM RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY PINOT NOIR 2018 - Sustainable, Sonoma County, California, USA (#458893) (XD) - $34.95  91+ pts  wine review
• RODNEY STRONG SYMMETRY 2017 - Sonoma County, California, USA (#641142) (XD) - $74.95  93 pts  wine review
  

White Wine:

• TORRE ZAMBRA INCASTRO BIANCO 2022 - Vegan, sustainable, IGT Terre di Chieti, Abruzzo, Italy (#28121) (XD) - $17.95
• FAMILLE PERRIN RÉSERVE CÔTES DU RHÔNE BLANC 2022 - AC, France (#499509) (XD) - $17.95
• PAPAGIANNAKOS OLD VINES SAVATIANO 2022 - Vegan, PGI Markopoulo, Attica, Greece (#33259) (XD) - $18.95
• MUGA BARREL FERMENTED WHITE 2021 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#958736) (XD) - $19.95
• OTU MARLBOROUGH SAUVIGNON BLANC 2022 - Sustainable, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#17549) (XD) - $19.95
• DONATIEN BAHUAUD LES GRANDS MORTIERS VOUVRAY 2021 - AP, Loire, France (#140889) (M) - $21.95
• NEDERBURG THE ANCHORMAN CHENIN BLANC 2021 - WO Western Cape, South Africa (#667212) (XD) - $22.95
• CHARLES BAKER B-SIDE RIESLING 2020 - VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#523845) (D) - $24.95  90 pts  wine review
• SANTO WINES 1911 SANTORINI NYKTERI 2021 - Vegan, PDO Santorini, Greece (#33226) (XD) - $40.95  92 pts  wine review

Rosé Wine:

• BELLES D'EGUILLES ROSÉ 2022 - AP Coteaux d'Aix en Provence, France (#32421) (XD) - $17.95
• MALIVOIRE VIVANT ROSÉ 2022 - Sustainable, VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#498535) (XD) - $19.95

Sparkling Wine:

• LABOURÉ-GONTARD BRUT CRÉMANT DE BOURGOGNE - Traditional method, AP, Burgundy, France (#401018) (D) - $21.95

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Cabriz Colheita Selecionada Rosé 2022 and Tinto 2020 (Portugal) - Wine Reviews

Tonight's wine reviews are a pair of very popular, wallet-friendly, and delicious wines from the Dão wine region of Portugal. You can grab both of these wines this weekend as the Tinto (red wine) will be on shelves this weekend as it will arrive in the August 19 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection, while the rosé arrived at the LCBO last month in the July 22nd LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection.

Cabriz is a well-known, entry-level brand of wines from Dão, the oldest winemaking region of Portugal. The brand is part of Dão Sul, which itself is the Dão branch of the Global Wines conglomerate, one of Portugal's leading wine producers. As a visionary company, they have done an excellent job of restoring the estate's 17th century manor and outlying buildings, as well as making a concerted effort to elevate wine tourism and fine dining within the region to the highest of international standards.

These two wines are among Cabriz's most popular, and when you look at the entire portfolio, it is like travelling to the heart of Portugal, through the plains, the mountains, the rivers, the food, and the people. The goal of the brand is to give more to those who choose Cabriz. They want to have a wine for everyone and for every moment, and made with the best that nature can provide, at the best possible price.

To craft Cabriz wines, the company draws fruit from 200 hectares of vines across the Dão. The winegrowing and production techniques used are ultra-modern and internationally-influenced. However, the wines do reflect Dão's terroir and style. After enjoying both the Cabriz Colheita Selecionada Rosé 2020 and Cabriz Colheita Selecionada Tinto 2019 last summer, let's see how the latest vintage of these two wines are tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

CABRIZ ROSÉ 2022 - DOC Dão, Portugal (#30445) (D) - $14.95
This unoaked blend of Touriga Nacional and Alfrocheiro has a medium+ intensity nose that offers enticing aromas of grapefruit, raspberry, honeysuckle, and citrus with a whiff of minerality. It has good weight on the medium+ to medium-full bodied palate with ripe citrus, grapefruit, raspberry, honeysuckle, apple, and red berry flavours. There is a vague impression of sweetness, but it's tempered by the fresh, crisp, and lively acidity. Nicely textured on the mid-palate, while oyster shell mineral and white cherry notes linger on the finish, with very good length. Delicious! Chill and enjoy this recommended buy! Score: 88+ pts

CABRIZ COLHEITA SELECIONADA TINTO 2020 - DOC Dão, Portugal (#247973) (D) - $14.95
Aged for 6 months in French oak barrels, this blend of 40% Alfrocheiro, 40% Aragonez (Tempranillo), and 20% Touriga Nacional has an intriguing, medium+ intensity nose of herbal and wood spices that surrounds a core of ripe, plummy, dark cherry-berry fruit. It's medium bodied with fine, bright acidity and dark cherry-berry, blackberry, wood spice, and dark plum flavours. Supple, well-structured tannins offer a nice mouthfeel, while cedary wood spice notes with hints of smoky mineral linger on the finish, with very good length. Recommended buy! Score: 88+ pts

Other delicious wines by Cabriz can be ordered through their Agent - Noble Estates Wines & Spirits.

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Kacaba Cabernet Franc 2019 (Niagara) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is a lovely local offering from Niagara that arrived at the LCBO in last weekend's August 5 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection and is available for purchase online at LCBO.com and Flagship Exclusive stores.

It is produced by Kacaba Vineyards & Winery, a premium, small-batch winery located on prime, winegrowing land on the Niagara Escarpment in Vineland, Ontario. It's history began when the previous owner, Michael Kacaba, a Bay St. lawyer in Toronto of Ukrainian descent and from a Saskatchewan background, purchased the property in 1997. Although the land was slated for a subdivision, Michael had other ideas and began the work to establish a vineyard and winery. In 1999, Kacaba had his first vintage and consistent success followed thereafter.

Much of Kacaba's success can be attributed to its location on the Escarpment - the slope leading to the lake bed of the prehistoric lake that covered southern Ontario. This unique geographical area sets up a circulating air flow whereby cold air naturally moves down the Escarpment and over Lake Ontario where it warms, rises, and returns to heat the Escarpment. This process helps extend the frost-free season through spring and fall, thereby extending the growing season, which allows grapes such as Syrah and the Bordeaux varieties to develop phenolic maturity.

Kacaba wines are produced using only the finest grapes grown on their estate or partnered grape growers from surrounding vineyards, and their philosophy is based on small quantities. The production is limited based on their ability to handle and manage quantities that can be produced mainly by hand, with pumping kept to a minimum and using gravity for racking and bottling. By focusing on smaller batch sizes, Kacaba is able to produce wines of merit that are rich in aromas, and deep in colour and character with velvety finishes. While encouraging sustainable agriculture, their main goal is to produce ultra-premium wines. However, they also produce moderately priced wines that are necessary for the economic well-being of the company, while striving to produce more fruit-driven wines with more finesse and character.

This red wine is from Kacaba's "Escarpment" range of wines and crafted with 100% Cabernet Franc that was grown in their vineyards situated on the Escarpment Bench, where the soil helps produce quality wines even during an average growing season such as 2019. On the Escarpment Bench, the landscape's elevation and dense clay/loam soils naturally stress the vines which concentrate the flavours in the fruit, and when coupled with strategic crop thinning, this concentration produces balanced tannins with ripe fruit flavours.

The grapes to craft this red wine were carefully harvested and gently de-stemmed. It was fermented over 14 days using select yeast strains, with twice-daily manual pump-overs and punch-downs. Upon completion of primary fermentation, the wine was pressed from the skins and racked into a combination of 29 slightly older French and American oak barrels, where it finished malolactic fermentation. The wine remained in barrels for 12 months for further maturation, and was filtered and bottled. Let's see how this 2019 Cabernet Franc from Niagara is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

KACABA CABERNET FRANC 2019 - VQA Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#272146) (XD) - $33.15
Lovely, medium-high intensity nose offers ripe red & black fruits, grilled herbs, black cherry, currant, and leather aromas with hints of tobacco. It's medium+ bodied, dry, and well-structured with delicious ripe currant, black cherry, grilled herbs, leather, and tobacco flavour replays, plus touches of pepper and spice. It's all supported by fresh acidity and supple, gently chalky textured, and well-structured tannins. Currant, black cherry, and savoury oak notes with a hint of dark plum lingers on the finish, with very good length. Enjoy this recommended buy over the next 4-5 years. Score: 89 pts

Other fine wines by Kacaba Vineyards are available at the LCBO, with a wider variety available direct from winery in Niagara.

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Zonte's Footstep Splitting Hares Tempranillo / Grenache 2021 (Australia) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is a delicious and unique blend of Tempranillo and Grenache from... Australia! This vegan-friendly red wine is a new arrival at the LCBO that landed on shelves across Ontario as part of the recent July 22nd LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection.

It is produced by Zonte's Footstep, a proudly independent wine producer that was established in Australia in 2003. They produce their wines using grapes from their own vineyards, as well as from their mates' vineyards, from regions that produce the desired expressive and varietal characteristics of the grapes, which are grounded by the soil that they are planted in. While they don't take themselves seriously, they are serious about their vineyards and wine. Their goal is simple - produce wines from regions such as McLaren Vale, Langhorne Creek, Adelaide Hills, and the Barossa, that reflect a sense of place, style and purpose. Their aim is to bottle wines with personality and expression, hence each wine at Zonte's Footstep has its own name and face.

When Zonte's Footstep made their first wine in 2003, they needed a name for the company and looked back into the history of the region for some inspiration. In 1893, there was a vineyard planted with Zante currant to produce table grapes for the growing population of Adelaide. In the 1920s, the vineyard was replanted with Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, grapes which were eventually used to make their first wine. As a tribute to the journey of the grapes in the vineyard - and because one isn't legally allowed to mention a grape variety unless it's contained in the wine - it was decided to change the "A" to an "O" to form ZONTE'S. The other half of the company name came about when a group of friends gathered together in 1999 and purchased a vineyard to plant Viognier, Sangiovese, and other exciting varieties to experiment with. During the replanting of the vineyard, they discovered large boulders with footprints of the largest known marsupial to have ever lived: the Diprotodon. This unique, fossilized FOOTSTEP cemented the company's name and journey that they started just before the turn of the century and are continuing on as Zonte's Footstep today.

This red wine is a blend of Tempranillo and Grenache that was grown in the Fleurieu wine zone, south of Adelaide in South Australia. These two very different varieties were brought together by making small winemaking decisions that deliver a big impact and achieving perfect balance in the wine. To craft this wine, it came down to splitting hairs - hence the name of this wine - as they tweaked the proportions of the blend in tiny one percent increments until perfect balance was achieved. The final blend consists of 65% Tempranillo and 35% Grenache and is the exact point at which the juicy, fragrant Grenache tames the savoury chewiness of the Tempranillo.

The grapes underwent alcoholic fermentation in 5 tonne open fermenters, then completed a natural malolactic fermentation in tank. The wine was then pressed off its skins and transferred into well-seasoned hogshead barrels and aged for up to 12 months, and then bottled with minimal filtration. Let's see how this unique 2021 Tempranillo / Grenache blend from Australia is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

ZONTE'S FOOTSTEP SPLITTING HARES TEMPRANILLO / GRENACHE 2021 - Vegan, Fleurieu, South Australia (#30847) (XD) - $21.95
Screw cap. This blend of 65% Tempranillo and 35% Grenache has intriguing, fragrant, and medium-high intensity aromatics offering black-purple-blue fruited aromas, plus floral and spice layered over wet earth notes. On the dry, medium+ to medium-full bodied palate it has a delicious savoury, dark fruited, and spicy core of flavours accented with blackberry, nut, cocoa, and clove spice notes. It has fresh, juicy acidity, while the firm, grainy tannins are slightly grippy. It's nicely balanced with savoury, spicy, and tangy dark fruit flavours lingering on the juicy finish, with very good length. Recommended buy! Score: 89 pts

Many other delicious wines by Zonte's Footstep are widely available at the LCBO, as well as through their Agent - Cru Wine Merchants.

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Stags' Leap Winery Chardonnay 2020 (Napa Valley) - Wine Review

After enjoying the excellent 2018 Stags' Leap Winery Petite Sirah earlier this year, tonight's white wine review is an excellent Chardonnay from the same producer that arrived at the LCBO last month as part of the LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection on July 22nd, with plenty of bottles still available for purchase across Ontario.

It is produced by the historic and well-regarded Stags' Leap Winery, which is located in the Stags Leap District of Napa Valley, California. The wine estate was established in 1893 by Horace Blanchard Chase and his wife, Mary, when they planted their first vineyards on the unique terroir of the Stags Leap District which is known for its volcanic soils, warm days, and cool nights, characteristics that provide the ideal microclimate for growing premium wine grapes. As one of California's oldest wine estates, the name Stags Leap is attributed to the native Wappo legend of a stag leaping to escape hunters, and the mountains behind the property on the eastern side came to be known as the Stags Leap Palisades.

The estate went through a series of ownership changes in the early part of the 20th century and gained significant recognition during the 1970s because its wine won first place in the 1976 Judgment of Paris tasting. Today, Stags' Leap Winery is renowned for producing high quality wines throughout their portfolio. Their goal is to convey the essence of their world-class terroir from grape to glass, and to create handcrafted wines that tell an authentic story of the land on which they are grown.

Crafted with 100% Chardonnay, the grapes for this white wine were sourced from the cooler southern appellations within Napa Valley, where the fog from San Pablo Bay helps cool the vineyards throughout the growing season and preserves the ideal freshness and acidity in the grapes. The majority of the fruit is from the Carneros AVA, which provides citrus, mineral, and crisp apple notes, while a smaller percentage is from the Oak Knoll AVA, which provides more tropical and stone fruit characters. Both of these vineyards produce Chardonnay that is ideal for Stags' Leap's style of winemaking - to craft wines with fresh fruit flavours, and bright acidity with vibrancy.

To craft this Napa Valley Chardonnay, Stags' Leap Winery gently whole-cluster pressed the grapes in order to preserve the naturally fresh aromatics. Twenty-five percent of the wine was fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks, while the remainder was fermented and aged in French oak barrels, with 25% in new oak and 50% in seasoned French oak. By using this specific method of barrel treatment, this helps preserve the essential purity of the fruit, while adding subtle notes of oak complexity. As is the style of Stags' Leap, the wine did not undergo malolactic fermentation, which further helps maintain the fruit's natural acidity, terroir expression, and aromatic freshness. The yeast lees were put in suspension during 7 months of maturation with weekly batonnage, then the three batches of wines were blended and bottled.

The 2020 growing season will be remembered for factors beyond the typical harvest season. Winter was warm and dry, with rain and cooler weather not arriving until the end of March. The mild spring offered a great, early start, while summer brought very cool mornings and very warm days. Stags' Leap Winery was very fortunate in that none of their vineyards were in the areas of active fires and they were able to harvest their grapes as planned. White wine grapes showed excellent development in the cellar, reflecting the fine vintage. The resulting wines of 2020 are of very high quality with concentrated flavours and excellent acidity, especially for varieties like Chardonnay. Let's see how this 2020 Napa Valley Chardonnay is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

STAGS' LEAP WINERY CHARDONNAY 2020 - Napa Valley, California, USA (#655381) (XD) - $44.95
The medium-high to highly aromatic nose is rich with impressive depth, featuring lovely aromas of lemon citrus, stone fruit, green apple, pear, and white peach with touches of vanillin oak spice, butter, and a hint of mineral. It has a concentrated, medium-full bodied, dry and spicy palate with delicious, ripe lemon citrus, green apple, pear, white peach, and gentle oak spice flavours, plus hints of vanilla, butter, and flinty mineral. It's nicely textured with fresh and vibrant acidity, while flinty mineral and oak spice notes linger on the long, juicy finish. Highly recommended buy! Score: 92+ pts

While the Cabernet Sauvignon and small amounts of the Petite Sirah are available at the LCBO, the whole range can be ordered through their Agent - Mark Anthony Wine & Spirits.

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Wakefield Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 (Australia) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is the latest vintage of a lovely, consistently well-made Australian Cabernet Sauvignon that arrived at the LCBO last month in the July 22nd LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection.

It is produced by Wakefield Wines, a well-respected winery situated in the Clare Valley wine region of South Australia. The family winemaking business was established in 1969 by Bill Taylor Sr. He was inspired by the producers of Bordeaux and had a vision to craft estate wines that rival the best in the world. In Australia and New Zealand, they trade under their family name, Taylors Wines, but here in Canada and abroad, the wines are marketed under the Wakefield Wines brand.

When the Taylor family established their wine business, they wanted to create proper "old world" style estate wines, which are by definition when both the vineyards and winery are in the same location. This approach allowed the Taylor family to have ultimate control over the vineyards, winery, and even the bottling of the wines. The first wines they crafted were this Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, and an Estate Shiraz. These days, each wine is still crafted and bottled at the estate, but all of the fruit is not grown on the property. This is mainly due to the popularity of the wines - they need more fruit to meet demand, but also because fruit from other regions can be of higher quality.

Today, Wakefield Wines is led by the grandsons of Bill Taylor Sr. - brothers Mitchell, Justin, and Clinton, who represent the third generation of the family. The commitment from each generation of the family to the way the wines are crafted has earned the Taylors an enviable reputation and contributed to their continued success. Their love for winemaking, keen eye for detail, and commitment to excellence have made Wakefield Wines a renowned producer of top Australian wines.

The Taylor family is also committed to ensuring that they function in a responsible and sustainable manner on both land and sea. While their strong connection to the land is evident, their connection to the sea is equally strong, starting with their unique seahorse emblem that adorns each bottle of wine. Nationally and globally, the Taylor family has partnered with two organisations that are working to protect seahorses. On land, they favour innovative techniques to improve energy efficiency, water conservation, and packaging, as well as prevent or eliminate the production of waste or pollution. Their goal as a company is to apply best practice principles in environmental management which promote biodiversity to enhance sustainable business activities and products.

I've had the pleasure of tasting quite a few vintages of this delicious Cabernet Sauvignon, going back to at least the 2016 vintage. This wine is traditionally crafted with fruit exclusively from the Clare Valley. However, fruit from Limestone Coast played a minority role in the final blend of the 2019 Wakefield Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. For this vintage, the wine is still 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, but Limestone Coast fruit plays a major role with 67% Limestone Coast and 33% Clare Valley fruit.

The Limestone Coast zone is approximately 400 km south of the Clare Valley and includes, among others, the winegrowing regions of Coonawarra (one of the finest regions for Cabernet Sauvignon) and Padthaway. In 2020, the Limestone Coast zone produced small quantities of high quality fruit due to a cool spring that resulted in small berries with great fruit concentration and lovely tannins. Warm days and cool nights also provided the perfect ripening conditions. Let's see how this 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon from Australia is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

WAKEFIELD ESTATE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2020 - Limestone Coast / Clare Valley, South Australia (#744235) (XD) - $19.95
100% Cabernet Sauvignon that was matured for up to 12 months in used French oak barrels, with half in 2 year old barrels and the remainder in 3 year old barrels, prior to final blending and bottling. Elegantly fragrant, medium-high intensity aromatics offer attractive minty cassis, black currant, tomato leaf, and herbs with a savoury, earthy core, plus some oak spice and cocoa notes. It's medium-full bodied with fresh, lively acidity that lifts the minty, cassis, black currant, tomato leaf, and herbal flavours that become savoury with earthy and cocoa notes on the gently tangy mid-palate. Smooth, refined tannins are well-structured. Clean and well-balanced throughout with very good acid structure. Earthy, cedary oak, and cocoa with touches of mineral, plus some tangy notes on the long, well-structured finish. Enjoy this highly recommended buy over the next 5+ years. Score: 89 pts

Many other lovely wines from the Wakefield Wines portfolio are available at the LCBO and through their Agent - Profile Wine Group.

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Planeta Frappato 2021 (Sicily) - Wine Review

After enjoying the beautiful 2018 Planeta Frappato Vittoria a couple of years ago, tonight's red wine review is the latest vintage of this terrific (and now organically certified) red wine that arrived at the LCBO last weekend in the July 22 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection.

It is produced by Planeta, a well-established and respected wine producer based on the island of Sicily, Italy. The Planeta family have been involved in the agricultural evolution on the complex lands of Sicily for over 500 years and 17 generations. Their approach has always been inclined towards openness and innovation, and in the early 1900's, Grandfather Vito led the way towards new solutions and new prospects by transforming the small, family winery in Menfi, in western Sicily, into a large co-operative in a short period of time.

Fast-forward to the mid-1980's, the Planeta family planted their first vines around a 16th century farmhouse, Ulmo, which the family has always owned. They wanted to provide this beautiful place full of memories with a new future and built their first winery at the site in 1995, on the banks of Lake Arancio and its nearby woods. The success of the winery at Ulmo led to further expansion on the island, with the idea of producing each wine in its own territory.

In addition to the winery in Menfi, Planeta also has wineries in Etna, Capo Milazzo, Noto, and where this wine is from - Vittoria. The Dorilli estate was established in Vittoria by renovating the big country house which stood at the centre of the family's landholding in the late-1990's, with the first vines planted in 1997. Vittoria is a place redolent of history and the long agricultural traditions of the Planeta family - even their ancestors couldn't agree on whether Vittoria or Menfi would be better suited to cultivate vines.

Planeta is still family-owned and operated today, with primarily two generations of the family, which includes brothers and sisters, children, nieces and nephews, who work together with a vision of unity, a love for the land, and a desire to protect it by using sustainable and environmentally-friendly viticultural approaches to winemaking. Planeta is also dedicated to producing high-quality wines that showcase the unique terroir of Sicily's diverse wine regions.

This red wine is crafted with 100% Frappato, a rare, exclusive, and sought after variety that is grown in only a few hectares around Vittoria, on the island of Sicily. It is cultivated according to sustainable and organic standards and reaches its ultimate expression in the red sands of Vittoria, not far from the sea, where this wine is from. The soils in Vittoria are primarily sandy textured and consist of mainly loose red sands with a structure of small dimensions, moderately deep. An important layer of tufa (limestone) sits at about 90 cm deep, allowing for water capacity and balance for the plants. This Frappato was grown in the Mogli vineyard, which is located 70 metres above sea level.

The grapes were hand picked and transported to the winery in small trolleys. Once the grapes arrived at the winery, they were de-stemmed and pressed, then fermented in stainless steel tanks. After alcoholic fermentation is completed, the wine remains in contact with the skins for 10-13 days. After malolactic fermentation, the wine remains in stainless steel tanks for further maturation, prior to bottling. From a smaller, but formidable vintage, let's see how this 2021 Frappato from Sicily is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

PLANETA FRAPPATO 2021 - Sustainable, DOC Sicilia Vittoria, Italy (#508655) (XD) - $24.95
Organic, 100% Frappato raised entirely in stainless steel tanks. The fragrant, medium-high intensity nose is elegantly aromatic with red berry, raspberry, herbs, red licorice, cherry, and smoky-stony mineral aromas with touches of floral and earth. On the dry, light-to-mid weighted palate it offers juicy and ripe raspberry, herbal, cherry, earthy mineral flavours that are backed by fresh, well-balanced acidity and light, dusty textured tannins. It has very nice interplays between the berry fruit, savoury mineral, and herbal characters, with the mineral notes lingering through to the long-lasting, gently chalky textured finish. Even better than last time and a highly recommended buy! Score: 91+ pts

Quite a few wines by Planeta are available at the LCBO, albeit in limited quantities, while the whol range can be ordered through their Agent - Noble Estates Wines & Spirits.

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August 5, 2023 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Online & Flagship Exclusives

Here are my top wine picks from the August 5, 2023 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection. This is the final release of its kind for the year, where the entire release is only available online and at Flagship stores. There are 39 wines included in the release and 13 are among my top wine picks. All of the wine should be available for purchase by this Saturday.

There is only one blend, albeit barely, among my top red wine recommendations - a Gigondas that is composed of 95% Grenache and 5% Mourvèdre. Single varietal wines include a fine Pinot Noir from Oregon, while the others are made up of Bordeaux varietals. There are a couple of lovely Cabernet Sauvignon wines - one each from Washington and McLaren Vale, as well as a Cabernet Franc from Niagara, and lastly, a Merlot from Friuli.

Among my top white wine picks, all are single varietal wines. Both Sauvignon Blanc wines are unique, with the version from Niagara fermented and aged in concrete, while the version from New Zealand was fermented and aged in oak vessels. The Assyrtiko from Greece was also fermented and aged in French oak barrels. Other dry white wines include a Chardonnay from Niagara, as well as a Torrontés from Argentina. If you enjoy some sweetness in your wines, you will want to get the Riesling or Pinot Gris - both are from New Zealand.

Enjoy my top wine recommendations from this release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

• BORGO CONVENTI MERLOT 2020 - DOC Collio, Friuli, Italy (#32492) (XD) - $24.95
• HASELGROVE PROTECTOR CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2019 - McLaren Vale, South Australia (#30849) (XD) - $32.95
• KACABA CABERNET FRANC 2019 - VQA Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#272146) (XD) - $33.15  89 pts  wine review
• DELILLE MÉTIER CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2021 - Columbia Valley, Washington, USA (#32496) (XD) - $39.95  91 pts  wine review
• XAVIER VIGNON GIGONDAS 2019 - AP, Rhône, France (#31698) (XD) - $44.95
• CRISTOM VINEYARDS MT. JEFFERSON CUVÉE PINOT NOIR 2021 - Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA (#940882) (XD) - $63.95  92 pts  wine review

White Wine:

• HIDDEN BENCH BÉTON SAUVIGNON BLANC 2021 - Rosomel Vineyard, VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#33552) (XD) - $27.95  90+ pts  wine review
  
• NANNY GOAT DRY RIESLING 2019 - Single vineyard, Central Otago, South Island, New Zealand (#25836) (MD) - $28.95
• EL ESTECO 1945 OLD VINES TORRONTÉS 2022 - Valles Calchaquíes, Argentina (#10695) (XD) - $31.95
• CLOUDSLEY TWENTY MILE BENCH CHARDONNAY 2020 - VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, Canada (#16093) (XD) - $34.95
• VILLA MARIA SEDDON PINOT GRIS 2021 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#32199) (M) - $39.95
• SPY VALLEY ENVOY SAUVIGNON BLANC 2016 - Sustainable, Johnson Vineyard, Waihopai Valley, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#429308) (XD) - $39.95  92 pts  wine review
• DOMAINE SIGALAS SANTORINI ASSYRTIKO 2021 - Barrel fermented, PDO Santorini, Greece (#33163) (XD) - $67.95  92+ pts  wine review

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